The Point of No Return
by kirby russell
Summary: What if Christine realizes it's not Piangi singing...?
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: Okay. This is my breakout piece, so tell me if you like it, or if I should just go away. Unfortunately, I do not own Erik, Christine, or any of the wonderful people in this story. But I do like to control their actions. It's just so much fun... ;)  
  
The Point of No Return  
  
"You have come here in pursuit of your deepest urge,  
  
in pursuit of that wish,  
  
which till now has been silent, silent ..."  
  
As he hits his first note, she feels shivers up and down her back; belatedly, she realizes this is not Piangi singing. Yet if it isn't Piangi, who could it... no! It is not possible... is it? She continues to sing, but she listens, and finally recognizes the voice of her angel of music. How could she even for a moment think the... thing behind that angelic voice was anyone but Erik? She had sung with him far too long, had gone through too much to ever forget that voice. The voice that spoke of love and life while sounding like the angel of death. There was no doubt, now, who it was.  
  
"Past the point of no return, the final threshold - What warm, unspoken secrets will we learn? Beyond the point of no return..."  
  
It is her cue, and although she doesn't miss a beat, she doesn't start as strong as she had, during rehearsal. She feels his eyes on her, disapproving, as they had so many times before, when he taught her. Before all this happened. As she grows stronger, loses herself in the music, his gaze becomes one of loving approval. Or maybe... as she peers into his eyes with curiosity and trepidation, she sees a gaze of longing, and of love. As she thinks this, she listens to what she sings, and feels her heart grow cold. She is just singing the opera, but for him...  
  
He is singing to her.  
  
As though the audience wasn't there, as if, through the music, he can finally confess his love to her. As though he was singing a plea for her to love him as much as he loved her. Which, she realizes too late, he does.  
  
She feels despair. She loves Raoul, not this... not Him. And yet as they sing together, becoming closer, crawling inside each others minds through their eyes and their words, she feels herself letting down the barriers she had fought so hard to build.  
  
"Past the point of no return - no going back now: our passion-play has now, at last, begun..."  
  
The shivers tingle through her entire body as they stare each other down. It had been just an opera but... no longer. It's now an intimate duel between her and her angel turned phantom. Which will win, she asks herself; the heart of a loving killer or the mind of a stripped angel? She has no idea how to react. But as she sings this plea of love, she realizes she feels more comfortable than she has in a long time. And as she sings, she realizes that, maybe, deep down, where she is scared to look, or even to think about, maybe she wants his love. She longs for the things that crawl up and down her back every time he's near. She wants him to sing with her, and only her. And she only wants to sing for him.  
  
"Past the point of no return, the final threshold - the bridge is crossed, so stand and watch it burn... we've passed the point of no return..."  
  
As she sings with him, her gaze softens, and she wishes with all her heart that he understands what her eyes and her voice are trying to say. When he misses half a beat, something he'd never done before in his life, she knows he understands. All of a sudden, he switches to a song he must have written himself... the pit has no idea what he's doing. So he sings to her a cappella, a beautifully haunting melody of love.  
  
"Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime... Lead me, save me from my solitude..."  
  
He shyly pulls a ring off his finger, and hands it to her. The way he hands it to her makes her think that maybe it's more than a ring he's handing to her. She hesitates, shocked at his bold movement. As she thinks, she sees the worry and fear in his eyes; the fear that he's read the wrong signals, that she doesn't really love him. That all his dreams have once again been shattered. Smiling to reassure him, she takes it, and slips it on her finger. He continues to sing, sure of himself now...  
  
"Say you want me with you, here beside you... anywhere you go let me go too - Christine, that's all I ask of - "  
  
As she listens, she realizes that Raoul is still out, watching this spectacle of realization to the singers and confusion to the audience, ready with his plan to kill her new-found love. Acting on instinct, she pulls off his mask... revealing him to the opera house. They both hear the screams of disbelief and horror. He is enraged and embarrassed, not realizing what's going on in her mind. She is swept away by him, and is led to his layer. "Erik..." The emotion in her voice stops him cold. "What do you want, Christine? I thought... did you know it was me?" "Of course, you're voice is unlike anyone else's on this earth. That's one of the reasons I..." "What? Christi..." "No." she interrupts him, knowing that a mob of angry men will be after them soon. She needs to say this now. "I... I love you." "What??" he gasps in surprise. He wasn't expecting that. "Now, we must move, they will be after us." "Pity comes too late. Don't try to take advantage of me, Christine. Nothing can save you now. Turn around! And face your fate... an eternity of this before your eyes." He takes off his mask. But instead of flinching and turning away, she takes a step closer. "No, Erik. I love you for who you are. Not for what you look like. I think you're handsome, just as you are." She can see the tears in his eyes. He's waited for this for so long. He has to blink, to make sure he's not dreaming again.  
  
After a long second, he collects his wits around him. "We must get rid of Raoul." "But I don't have the heart to kill him. I have a better idea. You want to kill him..." "That's true. After what he did..." "This is not the time, love." It seems so natural to call him that, now. "I convince you to let us both go. You must hide, I'll be back. At most a week, it'll take that long to tell Raoul I don't love him. Then..." It's his turn to interrupt her. "I can hear them. Two of them. Most likely Raoul and Mme Giry. We must fly, my love." He feels such joy in calling her that, in knowing that it's not just in his dreams. As they run down the twisted hallways, she reaches for his hand. He pauses, just a moment, before returning to his former pace. They run, hand in hand, until they reach his throne. There, they stop, glance at each other, and wait for Raoul...  
  
"Wait! I think, my dear, we have a guest!" he stresses the word 'dear', as only she would pick up. She holds back her grin of pleasure as she sees Raoul. "Sir, this is indeed an unparalleled delight..."  
  
Raoul falls for the trap, impromptu as it is. It seems all too real for her, the harsh words, and the deathly glares. But under it all, under Raoul's perception, she sends a message to Erik, just to make sure he knew of her choice. "Angel of music..." 'I love you...' she silently adds, and as he spits out retorts, she catches his eye, and he hears her silent addition. And as they reach the point of no return, he hisses, "You try my patience. Make your choice." She turns to him, and slowly takes off his mask. Then, with all the love and pity she can muster, she whispers, "Pitiful creature of darkness, what kind of life have you known? God give me courage to show you you are not alone." Then, as if to defy the odds, to spit in Raoul's eye, or just because they had both wanted this all their life, she kisses him. The embrace seems to last a lifetime; it holds such emotion that passes through both lips. As they pull apart, the world slows, and all they can see is each other. And then, as quickly as it was there, the moment is gone. They both hear the mob at the same time, and know it's time to put the finishing touches on this instant opera. "Take her - forget me - forget all of this..." He says in a dead voice, a void of all feeling. For a second, she worries that he's forgotten all that had happened before Raoul arrived, but as she glances at him one last time, before she flees from the raging men, she sees him looking into his mirror, without his mask, for what is the first time in decades. He sees her in the mirror, and she smiles at him.  
  
And for the first time, he smiles back. 


	2. Alternate ending to the Alternate ending...

"Take her - forget me - forget all of this..." He says in a dead voice, a void of all feeling. For a second, she worries that he's forgotten all that had happened before Raoul arrived, but as she glances at him one last time, before she flees from the raging men, she sees him looking into his mirror, without his mask, for what is the first time in decades. He sees her in the mirror, and she smiles at him.  
  
And for the first time, he smiles back.  
  
And as she's running through the dark labyrinth, she feels the weight of the ring on her finger. She turns around, not caring about Raoul, and runs back to Erik's layer. As she reaches it, she sees him, glaring with mockery at his mask. She knows what he's thinking. She reaches him, and takes off her ring. Handing it to him, she stares deep into his eyes with such emotion that they're both moved to tears. "Christine, I love you," he whispers. They move towards each other, without touching, as though if they touch, this dream-like world will shatter into a thousand pieces. After a tense moment, they move as one and embrace with a passion that astonishes them both. Then, slowly pulling apart, they both realize the mob is almost there. She runs back to catch up to Raoul, and as she steps onto the boat, she turns back...  
  
"Say you'll share with me, one love, one lifetime... say the word and I will follow you..."  
  
As Raoul misinterprets and responds, she strains to hear his response. When she only hears silence and the sounds of the oncoming men, she fears the worst. But as she turns away to finally leave her new home, she hears,  
  
"You alone can make my song take flight - It's over now the music of the night." 


End file.
